Hitachi Data Systems Ltd has answered IBM Corp’s 3390-9 triple-capacity mainframe disk unit with the 7699 Disk Array. Like the IBM offering, it is relatively slow, and intended as a low-cost storage alternative for those with plenty of seldom-accessed data that still needs to be on line. The 7699 is supported by the 7690 Storage Controller and can be used in conjunction with the companion high-performance 7693 Disk Array – one frame of 7699 and one frame of 7693. The drives use Hitachi Ltd’s new 6.5 platters, and magneto-resistive heads, and the 7699 has a base capacity of 34.05Gb expandable to 272.4Gb within one frame; two frames can be attached to a 7690 to provide a total maximum capacity of 544.8Gb in a single subsystem. It is claimed to be faster than the IBM drive with average seek time of 16.5mS and latency of 15.2mS. Set for third quarter 1994, it costs between $460,806 and $3.75m with controller, depending on capacity and performance levels required. It is also announced by Comparex Informationssysteme AG in its European terriitories, as the 6490-9XX. Hitachi and Comparex also have additional high-end mainframe models offering improved performance for single-sided one, two and three-processor models. Hitachi calls them the GX 8114, 8214 and 8314; the Comparex names are the 99/811 uniprocessor, 99/821 dyadic and 99/831 triadic; ships next quarter.
